At least 14 killed in Quetta blast

QUETTA: At least 14 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a powerful IED bomb blast outside a seminary in Satellite Town area on Sariab Link road of the metropolis here on Thursday, Media reported.

The bomb was detonated outside the gates of the seminary as a degree ceremony for students was being held inside, police told reporters.Around five to six kilogrammes of explosive material was used in the bomb, police sources said.The wounded were taken to Quetta’s Civil Hospital, while 13 people who had serious injuries were shifted to Combined Mlitary Hospital (CMH) hospital.

Emergency was imposed in all the hospitals of the city.Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Qazi Abdul Wahid said, unknown men planted explosive material in a bicycle and parked it outside the gate of a religious seminary Jamia Islamia Miftahul Uloom, Satellite Town, Sariab.

The DIG operations said that the bicycle was loaded with flower garlands and the police personnel deployed for security outside the seminary and other people took it as they were brought for the students who would get certificates in the ceremony inside the seminary.

Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.It suffers from militancy linked to the Taliban, sectarian violence between the majority Sunni and minority Shia Muslim sects and a separatist insurgency. – Dawn